Conservative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: comparison between laser therapy and Fascial Manipulation(®)

Elisa Pratelli; Marco Pintucci; Pina Cultrera; Enrico Baldini; Antonio Stecco; Antonio Petrocelli; Pietro Pasquetti

doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2014.08.002

Conservative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: comparison between laser therapy and Fascial Manipulation(®)

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2015 Jan;19(1):113-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2014.08.002. Epub 2014 Aug 11.

Authors

Elisa Pratelli¹, Marco Pintucci², Pina Cultrera³, Enrico Baldini⁴, Antonio Stecco⁵, Antonio Petrocelli¹, Pietro Pasquetti¹

Affiliations

¹ Agenzia recupero e riabilitazione, University of Careggi, Florence, Italy.
² Institution of Rehabilitation, Rede de Lucy Montoro, San Paulo, Brazil.
³ Azienda Socio Locale 10, Florence, Italy.
⁴ Centro di Reabilitazione, Florence, Italy.
⁵ Department of Internal Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. Electronic address: antonio.stecco@gmail.com.

PMID: 25603750
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2014.08.002

Abstract

The etiopathogenesis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is multifactorial and most cases are classified as idiopathic (Thurston 2013). A randomized controlled trial was performed to compare the effectiveness of Fascial Manipulation(®) (FM) and Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) for CTS. This prospective trial included 42 patients (70 hands with symptoms) with clinical and electroneuromyographic diagnosis of CTS. The patients were randomly assigned to receive multiple sessions of FM or multiple session of LLLT. The Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) and Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) were performed at baseline, end of treatment and after three months. The group that received FM showed a significant reduction in subjective pain perception and an increased function assessed by BCTQ at the end of the treatment and follow-up. The group that received LLLT showed an improvement in the BCTQ at the end of the treatment but the improvement level was not sustained at the three month follow-up. FM is a valid alternative treatment for CTS.

Keywords: Carpal tunnel syndrome; Fascial manipulation; Low level laser therapy; Manual therapy.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / therapy*
Female
Humans
Low-Level Light Therapy / methods*
Male
Median Nerve / physiopathology
Middle Aged
Prospective Studies
Recovery of Function
Severity of Illness Index
Therapy, Soft Tissue / methods*
Trigger Points / physiopathology